Dog Days of Summer

We don't have spoiled animals. Meet Maggie.

Postage Stamps

So I joined another Yahoo group that swaps "Postage Stamps" These are just 1.5" squares of quilt cottons. 1 swap is 25 sets of 50 different fabrics. So about 3 months ago I swapped and now have 1250 different "stamps".


This group went in the mail Yesterday.

I want to make a Scrappy Irish Chain quilt with these. I need to practice sewing my 1/4" seams first. This will be leader/ender project. But I AM going to wait for a while till I start this one.

Everywhere I look

I open this blog every day to check other sites, but I don't take time to update very often.

I take pictures of many thing, but sorting thru the pic's, organize and resize them is something I just dont make time for very often. So tonight I worked on pics and set up some groups for a few posts.

I decided to show you what has been keeping me busy lately.....

Everywhere I look I see projects and things to pick-up. It seems my quilting obsession is taking over my life. I use to have one or two project going. When I took a break from fabric I would paint, knit, scrapbook whatever.

But since I found internet groups on Yahoo, Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville.com and the HGTV boards. The projects just keep comming.

So last weekend I walked around and took pics of just what was laying OUT.

The dining room table has fabric purchased with a Joanne's gift card. I need to start a Baby Quilt for a friend at work - she is a first time Grandma and I think she NEEDS a quilt for her house. More on that project in another post.


Then I went to my new "sewing" room. John has been home after surgery on his wrist. He cant do much lifting, but Tony was layed off about 2 months ago. Sooooo,the den that was never used was turned into a sewing room.

It wasn't hard - I emptied the room except for a trunk - all ready full of fabric, the desk, and the shelves. Then I asked for a couple of shelves on wheels and a closet. (ok the closet involved moving electric and a hole in the wall)

It did not always look like this.

The closet turned out great, and I love that wicker basket - $5 at an auction. But that is another weakness of mine. I think I spent over $150 at that auction.

This table does NOT belong here - but my daughter Jacki was home an we needed some place to set her up to sew - that was WEEKS ago, now it is just another dumping ground. I have cleaned it twice this week. If there is time this weekend, I am going to try to talk my son into taking it to the basement. There are two large shelving units for the paperwork, and then the quilt supplies will need to be put away.

And here are the new shelves on wheels. It is pushed together most of the time. With a mat make for cutting or just a towel for ironing. I should really take the time to put together the ironing "board" - but that's another post too.

The Top is DONE

Jacki was home for the fair and some sewing -

The result - the top is DONE. Yah!!

Jacki's quilt in progress

OK I'm finally posting this pics here on the blog. I will update again if Jacki has time to put this together over the week off before the fall semester starts.

Jacki needs to pick out something for those large edge triangles. (I looked at my stash and there are a couple of options, but we may need to make a run to Joannes with a 50% coupon....

Jacki's 4th or 5th quilt - I dont think she need my help any more.....

All I can say is WOW!

a quilt square challange

Last weekend we went to Winona County Fair - there was sooo much to see.

Is this not the best idea for a decoration outside the Home Economics Building!


Here is the idea

A few months before the fair, the local quilt shops had fair books for the taking and a small package that shoppers could purchase for about 8 or $10.

Each package had 3 identical fabrics.

The challange was to create a quilt block form the fabrics. Only one additional fabric COULD be added if needed.

The blocks were entered and judged at the fair.

Then after the fair a local guild will be finishing the project and the quilt will be auctioned off with proceeds going to a local charity.

Sorry for the bad pics - it was hot and my hands were full but here they are.....

I'm thinking next year I want to try this.

Visiting Jacki and Tim

My daughter turned 22 today, but she had class while her husband and I had to work......

Sooooo John and I visited this weekend.

John's favorite spot in MN - not the Mississippi, but this lake. Lots of blue gills to test his fly's on. And alway a turtle or too....



And what would it be like if we went to visit their 100+ year old house and not fix something??

Sunday morning, we were planning to leaving before 9am. But at 7:30 Jacki let us hear her dishwasher.... its a wonder it still cleaned the dishes.

Tim and John went up town, while Jacki and I turned off the water and disconnected everthing.

An hour later, we were on our way with a new dishwaher installed.